After waiting for nearly half an hour, the explosive music in the once bustling bar had stopped playing, and the people dancing had gradually quieted down.
Zhang Fan and his companions watched as, on the first floor below, the people in the vast hall had moved to the sides, leaving a clear space more than twenty meters long and wide.
The surrounding guests waited with tacit understanding. Suddenly, a mechanical grinding sound of gears turning from the depths of the hall began, and then everyone saw a square iron platform, about fifteen meters long and wide, slowly rise from underground, forming a giant cast-iron arena.
Around the arena, there were steel rope railings as thick as an arm. With Zhang Fan's eyesight, he could naturally tell that these steel rope railings were likely made of special alloy, making it extremely difficult to damage even for a Xiantian Grandmaster.
"This is quite interesting," Zhang Fan said, his interest piqued by the sight. The destructive power of Xiantian Grandmasters fighting was already immense, and ordinary arenas could not withstand the clashes between experts of this caliber.
Clearly, this bar had made preparations.
Although the cast-iron platform bore various marks, it was still relatively intact and perfectly usable.
If an ordinary arena were used for a battle between Xiantian Grandmasters, it would likely need to be replaced after just one fight.
Furthermore, the arena's area exceeded two hundred square meters. While large, it was still barely sufficient for experts like Xiantian Grandmasters, allowing them to display their skills without hindrance.
"The Mafia spent a lot of effort to build this arena. Even during each fight, four supernaturals skilled in defense are arranged around the arena to shield the audience from the residual impact of the battle, allowing them to watch up close," Aile Bella said with a smile.
"Such lavish expenditure," Yi Feicheng couldn't help but exclaim. His Black Tiger Gang combined didn't even have four Xiantian Grandmasters, yet the Mafia could arrange four supernaturals to assist in a gladiatorial match. The difference was considerable.
With the appearance of the cast-iron arena, the previously subdued atmosphere in the venue reignited. The crowd cheered hysterically, eagerly anticipating the start of the gladiatorial match.
Above the arena, a large crystal screen displayed numbers that had been rapidly increasing since the arena's emergence. Starting from zero, in just a few minutes, they had grown to tens of millions.
At the end of the numbers was a dollar sign.
"This is the prize pool, entirely contributed by the audience and awarded to the ultimate winner of tonight's arena match," Aile Bella told them, looking at the crystal screen.
"This is insane?" Yi Feicheng was somewhat startled.
From Aile Bella's explanation, the tens of millions of dollars on the crystal screen were all crowdsourced by the audience. They invested without any return, yet in just a few minutes, the amount had surpassed ten million.
"There are quite a few people who are willing to spend a fortune to witness such a battle."
"To make those supernaturals fighting on the stage go all out, they won't do it for nothing. Otherwise, do you think those participants are all from the Mafia?"
Aile Bella shook her head. "These participants are lured by the prize pool and recruited by the Mafia specifically for the arena. Otherwise, even with the Mafia's deep resources, they wouldn't have so many supernaturals to expend."
"Are tens of millions of dollars really worth supernaturals risking their lives for?" Hong Binglan also seemed puzzled. The strength of supernaturals was on par with the Xiantian Grandmasters of Huaxia. To risk their lives on the stage for tens of millions of dollars seemed to devalue their lives.
In Huaxia, Xiantian Grandmasters generally held high status. To make them risk their lives would likely require them to reconsider even if offered a billion yuan, contemplating if they would live long enough to enjoy such wealth.
"This is why the number of supernaturals in the West far exceeds the number of Xiantian Grandmasters in Huaxia," Aile Bella said, gently stroking her jade finger. "While the prize money is a factor in attracting supernaturals to fight, more importantly, they themselves crave combat."
"The tempering between life and death allows them to gain deeper insights and stimulate latent potential within their bodies."
"Although most fall on the stage, with only a few surviving, this still doesn't dampen their desire for battle. It's in their blood, something no one can change."
Hong Binglan couldn't comprehend it, but Yi Feicheng and Lin Haotian nodded repeatedly. They were all the type of battle enthusiasts who, given such an opportunity, would be willing even without prize money.
"No wonder the overall quality of powerhouses in the West is significantly higher than in Huaxia," Poyang, Hong Binglan's senior brother, also said with emotion.
Most Xiantian Grandmasters in Huaxia cherished their lives, unwilling to risk them for such meager wealth, believing their lives were more valuable.
However, in the West, supernaturals' lives were not as highly valued. Tens of millions of dollars were enough to drive them into a life-and-death struggle.
Zhang Fan also nodded in agreement. Strength could not be solely achieved through secluded cultivation; it required extensive combat. It was in the crucible of life and death that people could grasp mysteries normally unattainable.
Even he had a profound yearning for battle. His journey to his current position had been paved with countless life-and-death struggles.
In his previous life, he was known as the War Emperor in the Myriad Starry Skies, having challenged Immortal Emperors of myriad races. He understood the benefits of combat for cultivation even better.
Given the long-standing environment of the Western cultivation world, it was not surprising that the number of supernaturals far exceeded that of Xiantian Grandmasters in Huaxia.
While Zhang Fan and the others were conversing, a white figure suddenly flashed from the second floor and landed on the cast-iron arena. It was a hundred-year-old man dressed in a white suit.
His hair was shiny, and he exuded a gentlemanly aura. After stepping onto the stage, he smiled slightly at the audience below and then raised his hand to signal. The audience quickly quieted down, ceasing their cheers.
Next, the man in white spoke a lengthy speech in British English, designed to stir excitement and boost morale.
"Tonight, for the first arena match, we have the Russian Bear, Wu Long, facing off against the Santiago Golden Monkey, Ka Rui."
"Old rules apply: the winner can take half of the prize pool and leave, or choose to continue fighting!"
After speaking, the man in white leaped up and ascended to the second floor, leaving the stage to the two participants who were about to enter.
The first to appear was an extremely lean Black man, less than 1.7 meters tall. Such a physique was rare among Black men. His eyes sparkled like pearls, and his golden hair was braided into multiple strands, occasionally flashing with golden light, making him quite striking.
Opposite the lean Black man stood a powerfully built Russian giant, over two meters tall. The lean Black man appeared like a toddler in front of him.
His muscles were coiled like dragons, extending across his body. His fists were like massive hammers, capable of imagining the destructive power they would unleash when striking a person.
ps: Catching up.